Steelers’ Brown plans return vs. Jags
Even as he sat in the back of a police car rushing to the hospital to get a precise prognosis on his injured left calf while the Pittsburgh Steelers played on without him during a loss to New England three weeks ago, receiver Antonio Brown always believed he would be back.
When his teammates gave him the chance by assuring the AFC North champions of a first-round bye, Brown pushed his rehab. By last weekend, video surfaced of Brown working out in Florida with former NFL receiver Chad Ochocinco.
And there Brown was on Monday, going through drills with the rest of the Steelers, well on track for a return on Sunday against Jacksonville in the divisional round of the playoffs.
“I never count myself out regardless of circumstances,” Brown said. “I know playing football you’re going to have adversity. Just got to grow from it.”
While stressing he has “still got a lot to test,” the only unanimous selection on the 2017 All-Pro Team and the only player in NFL history with five straight seasons with at least 100 receptions appeared to be relatively close to his old self.
“AB is nice,” cornerback Joe Haden said. “If he’s out there, I expect him to be AB. He’s not going to be out there limping around. When he was running, he looked pretty good. You never know how it’s going to feel afterward, but while he’s out there, while he’s running his routes, he looked like AB.”
Bears name Chiefs coordinator as coach
The Chicago Bears hired Kansas City offensive coordinator Matt Nagy as coach, hoping he can develop promising quarterback Mitchell Trubisky and turn around a struggling team.
The Bears announced the move a week after firing coach John Fox, who went 14-34 in three seasons. Nagy, 39, spent the past 10 seasons working under coach Andy Reid in Philadelphia and Kansas City.
Bengals get new defensive coordinator
The Cincinnati Bengals named two assistant coaches.
Teryl Austin will take over as defensive coordinator. He spent the past four seasons as Detroit’s defensive coordinator, until the Lions fired coach Jim Caldwell last week. Austin replaces Paul Guenther, who is expected to join new coach Jon Gruden with Oakland.
Bob Bicknell will coach receivers. He replaces James Urban, who left to become quarterbacks coach with Baltimore. Bicknell spent last season at Baylor but was an NFL assistant before that.
Belichick set to return as Patriots coach
New England Patriots coach Bill Belichick said it is “absolutely” his intention to return as coach next season, despite reports of turmoil in the franchise involving him, quarterback Tom Brady and team owner
NFL playoffs schedule
DIVISIONAL ROUND
Atlanta at Philadelphia, 4:35 p.m. NBC (Channel 4) Tennessee at New England, 8:15 p.m. CBS (Channel 10)
Jacksonville at Pittsburgh, 1:05 p.m. CBS (Channel 10) New Orleans at Minnesota, 4:40 p.m. Fox (Channel 28)
CONFERENCE CHAMPIONSHIPS
3:05 p.m., CBS (Channel 10) 6:40 p.m., Fox (Channel 28)
SUPER BOWL AT MINNEAPOLIS AFC champion vs. NFC champion, 6:30 p.m.
NBC (Channel 4) Robert Kraft.
Belichick said he didn’t have anything to add to a joint statement the three released last week in response to an ESPN report, citing undisclosed sources, that detailed an array of tension.
“I haven’t read the article. I’ve already commented at length about that situation,” Belichick said. “Nothing has happened since then, so I don’t have anything to add to it.”